Sight, Cite, Site is
a multi-stage performance venue designed in collaboration with Office of
Things. It is our entry into the annual Ragdale Ring design comepetion in Highland Park, Illinois, sited on the grounds of a historic home built by architect Howard van
Doren Shaw. Orders and OoT were interested in how outdoor performance
spaces could interact with the house, and what new experiences for performers and
audience might result.
Sight, Cite, Site deploys four “stage sets” around the site. They share a material palette, language, and an unconventional geometric technique: using anamorphic projection, the stage sets create unexpected optical illusions (Sight) which illustrate the house’s design ideas (Cite) at key locations (Site). An anamorphic projection is a three-dimensional construction which, when viewed from a particular spot, resolves into a recognizable two-dimensional image. In Sight, Cite, Site this technique is used to draw viewers around the landscape, discovering new alignments and relationships at each stage.
Sight, Cite, Site deploys four “stage sets” around the site. They share a material palette, language, and an unconventional geometric technique: using anamorphic projection, the stage sets create unexpected optical illusions (Sight) which illustrate the house’s design ideas (Cite) at key locations (Site). An anamorphic projection is a three-dimensional construction which, when viewed from a particular spot, resolves into a recognizable two-dimensional image. In Sight, Cite, Site this technique is used to draw viewers around the landscape, discovering new alignments and relationships at each stage.
The Main Stage Set appears as a half circle, but through tricks of perspective, pulls the plant life of the forest into the scene. Moving north, the viewer finds that stripes of mirror resolve to a circle – and show the back façade of the house super imposed on the stage set. Small objects on the ground act as seats or blocks, allowing visitors to set up their own anamorphic projections.
The Entry Set sits at the front of the house. When the viewer is aligned with the front entry door, the Set resolves into a perfect circle – a surreal trick of perspective. Pulling the viewer into this position also underscores the play between symmetry and asymmetry in the house’s front elevation. The color matches the shutters of the house. Graphic elements, joints, and scale are calibrated to enhance the 2D nature of the circle.
At the side of the house, the viewer encounters a Set wrapping around the fountain. When the viewer steps onto the porch (a novel location to watch a performance) the Set resolves as a striped half-circle. This shape is also a loose reference to the vaulted entry hall inside.
At the rear of the house, the Corner Set features a dynamic configuration which appears as a circle from three different points. This set forms an outside corner, reacting to the informal geometry of the back screen porch; it seems as though the porch “pushed” this set into its shape. Featuring long stage platforms, this set is great for active, kinetic performances.
Simple, durable, and readily available materials are used on all four stages. These constructions are made of pressure-treated lumber and marine plywood, wood filled and finished with exterior grade paint. We also use small quantities of inset laser-cut mirrored acrylic for effect on the Main Stage.
Site, Cite, Sight offers a range of exciting opportunities for performance, programming, and audience engagement. We are confident in its affordability and constructability. The project is in dialogue with history while simultaneously creating new, surreal experiences.
Status: Competition Entry
Year: 2026